On January 22, 2018, we commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize abortion in the United States. In these 45 years, there have been over 60 million abortions – surgical abortions – in this country! That does not include abortions caused by the “birth control pill,” “Plan B,” the “Morning After […]

Rachel’s Vineyard mourns the loss of a dear friend, Bishop David Choby of the Diocese of Nashville. Some years ago, while hearing confessions in his cathedral, Bishop Choby saw the tremendous grief, trauma and guilt than many people suffer with following an abortion. As a result of this experience, Bishop Choby came and made a […]

Every human being is wounded. Some of us are wounded by sins committed against us — injustices, abuse, violations of our human rights and/or our dignity as children of God. Some of our wounds are self-inflicted — wounds that stem from our own pride, anger, lust, envy, etc. There may be times when we feel […]

After making a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat for the healing of the wounds of abortion, many people might ask: “What do I do now? How do I continue healing?” Some people find that some follow-up counseling can be very helpful; others find that going deeper in their relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ through personal prayer […]

During a recent radio interview, a lady named Carol called in from Illinois to share her story of how abortion affected her, and how she continues to receive healing from the wounds from her abortion: If you, or someone you love, has been wounded by abortion, we invite you to join us for a Rachel’s […]

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Testimonials

On a trip to Mexico, her parents’ homeland, Rosemary Medeiros was visiting a chapel for adoration when she heard a voice say, “I have forgiven you; now forgive yourself.”

“I walked out shocked,” she said. “I knew in my heart it was the abortion I’d had 33 years earlier.”

When she was just out of high school and still living with her parents, Rosemary had become pregnant the first time she slept with her now husband, Joey. Ashamed and terrified that her father would throw her out, she and Joey had gone to a clinic for an abortion.

“I walked out of there feeling so empty,” she said. “It changed everything about me.”

After her experience in Mexico and back in the United States, Rosemary started listening to Catholic Radio. There she heard about Rachel’s Vineyard, a nationwide ministry that runs weekend retreats for women and men who seek healing after abortion.

She asked Joey to join her for the Friday-through-Sunday retreat in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco.

“Initially, I thought, ‘That’s so far in the past, why do we have to revisit it?’ ” Joey said. “But I wanted to support her, so I went. And it was a very healing experience. I was able to absorb and feel what had happened. Until then, I didn’t know how to deal with the hurt.”

The secret the two of them had shared for decades was now out in the open: They told their four grown children. And Rosemary began telling her story to help After the Choice, a ministry of the Oakland, Calif., diocese, spread the word about healing after abortion. After the Choice connects women and men suffering from post-abortion guilt and regret with spiritual healing, mostly at Rachel’s Vineyard weekend retreats.

Upcoming Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats in the Mid-South:

Western Kentucky
(Owensboro area):
April 5 through 7, 2019
November 8 through 10, 2019